Squeezable containers



Dec. 30, 1969 A. M. HERZIG ETAL SQUEEZABLE CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Original Filed Jan. 25 1961 MI c.

I N VEN TOR Dec. 30, 1969 A, mHERil'g ET'AL 3,486,666

SQUEEZABLE CONTAINERS Original Filed Jan. 25, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTORS ALBERT M. #1516216 4 7-1-0 2NEY5 United States Patent3,486,666 SQUEEZABLE CONTAINERS Albert M. Herzig, 9465 Wilshire Blvd.,Beverly Hills, Calif. 90212, and Benjamin David Menkin, 11527 W.Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, Calif. 90066 Original application Jan.25, 1961, Ser. No. 611,639 now Patent No. 3,426,629, dated Feb. 11,1969. Divided and this application Nov. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 774,842

Int. Cl. B65d 35/40 US. Cl. 222-494 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREThe device is an automatic closure for squeeze containers. The containerhas a neck part formed by areas of heat sealable material heat sealedtogether and leaving an unsealed discharge channel. A stiffening memberas part of the closure is placed across the channel at a position thatwould be at the end or focus of a bubble of liquid in the container uponthe application of threshold pressure which would begin to cause releaseof the liquid.

The invention resides in closures for squeeze containers and the like ofthe type shown in prior Patents Nos. 2,815,150 and 2,753,091. Thisapplication is a division of prior application Ser. No. 611,639, filedJan. 25, 1967, now Patent No. 3,426,629 of Feb. 11, 1969.

Such automatic closures are formed preferably integrally from a tube ofelastomeric material and can have sides heat sealed together, but in anyevent leaving an intermediate opening or channel. The heat sealedmaterial is stretched laterally and held bowed by a rigid or stiffeningmeans applied to it.

The improvements of this invention reside in part in positioning of thestiffening means at the optimum position with reference to the unsealedchannel; (i.e.) at the position established as the amount or distancethat liquid will be forced into the channel at a relatively smallthreshold pressure, it having been found that in order to force theliquid further into, or more pertinently, out of the channel, asubstantially higher pressure or force is required. This latterunexpected phenomena was discovered to be a natural bubble, kinking theoutlet.

A further improvement resides in the particular configuration of theholding tangs on one preferred form of the stiffening means. They arepreferably formed by way of deforming material out of the plane of thestiffening or clip member from a single transverse cut through thematerial of the member.

Further improvements of the invention reside in the particular method ortechnique and means for making cuts and score lines in the material ofthe closure means to provide a tear-off strip. Cuts are made through theside edges of the material aligned with score lines in the surface ofthe two layers of material, heat sealed together. A tool or die isprovided for effectively making these cuts and score lines in a simpleoperation. The tool provides dies for holding the material of theclosure means so as to deform side portions of it out of the plane ofthe intermediate part. Upper and lower knives or cutting edges are thenmoved transversely so that one knife cuts completely through thedeformed portions to provide the side cuts and the knives to form thescores in the upper and lower surfaces. Modified forms of dieconfigurations are provided for deforming material out of the plane ofthe closure means.

The closure means is provided by the flattened neck of resilientmaterial, the flattened sides of which are heat sealed together leavingan unsealed area. Holes are punched in the heat sealed areas and astiffening clip or rib is applied holding the material laterallystretched.

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The stiffening member is applied in the optimum position, that is, inthe position at whch liquid can be forced out through the closure byapplication of only the minimum threshold pressure or force. Improvedtangs are formed in the holding clip or stiffening member to provideoptimum holding strength without tearing.

Improved methods and means are provided for fabricating the tear-offstrip. By this method and means side cuts and score lines on oppositesides of the closure means are effectively provided for in a tool forthis purpose. The material of the closure means is held in a diewhichdeforms side parts of the closure means out of a plane. Knives then movetransversely with respect to the closure means so that one knife cutscompletely through the side portions that are deformed out of a planeand the score lines are simultaneously made through the intermediatepart.

In the light of the foregoing, it is a primary object of the inventionto provide and make available certain particular improvements inautomatic closures of the type referred to in the foregoing,contributing to their effectiveness and further to make availableimprovements in the process or technique for fabricating or producingthe closures.

A further object of the invention is to improve upon and make moreeffective the positioning of the stiffening and tensioning member usedwith the automatic closure to optimize its utility. Having reference toan automatic closure formed by providing an unsealed neck or channelbetween flattened heat sealed areas at an end part of a container ofpolyethylene material or the like, it has been discovered that bypressure on the container liquid material can be forced a limiteddistance into the unsealed neck or channel, with very light squeezingpressures; this position or point establishes a threshold pressure, andto force the liquid further into the neck requires a substantiallyhigher pressure or force beyond the threshold value. Optimumeffectiveness is, therefore, realized by placing the stiffening membersubstantially at this point or position.

Another object is to improve the holding qualities of the stiffeningmember with respect to the resilient elastomeric material by theprovision of a specific configuration of holding tangs which bites intothe resilient material. Preferably, these tangs are formed by deformingmaterial of the stiffening member outwardly from the surface thereofwith respect to a single transverse cut in the material to provide aparticular configuration of the tang as will be described in detailhereinafter.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a uniquealternative form of automatic closure wherein the stiffening member maybe bonded to the material of the automatic closure in a position alignedwith the openable neck or channel of the closure.

The container with the automatic closure may initially at the time ofmanufacture be positively sealed by way of a tear strip at the end ofthe closure which can be manually torn off, exposing the dischargeopening. As shown in prior art Patent No. 2,815,150 preferably the tearstrip may be provided for by way of side cuts through the material ofthe closure, and score line on opposite sides of the closure memberaligned with the side cuts. A further and particular object of thisinvention is to provide improved methods and means for forming theseside cuts and score lines whereby the tear strip of the closure may betorn off. This method and means constitute improvements also on themethod and means of prior application, Ser. No. 330,379, filed Jan. 9,1953.

Further objects and additional advantages of the invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description and annexed drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a squeezable container having theclosure means of the invention before the fabrication of the closure hasbeen completed;

FIGURE 2 is a crosssectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 3 is a view of a preferred form of the closure means of theinvention, shown without the cuts and score lines for the tear strip;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 5 is a view like FIGURE 3 illustrating the effect of pressureupon the squeezable container with reference to the closure means;

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the closure of FIGURE 7, taken along line 6-6of FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 7 is a view of a modified form of closure member;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view of the closure means of FIGURE 7 takenalong the line 8-8;

FIGURE 9 is a detail view of the improved form of stiffening member orclip;

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view of the closure shown in FIGURE 11 taken onthe line 1010;

FIGURE 11 is a view of the closure showing the side cuts and scorelines;

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view of the closure of FIG- URE 11 taken on theline 15;

FIGURE 13 is a perspective view of the closure means of FIGURES 10, 11and 12;

FIGURE 14 is a schematic view of a preferred form of tool or the die formaking the side cuts and score lines of the closure of FIGURES 10 to 13;

FIGURE 15 is a sectional view of the tool or die of FIGURE 14 taken onthe line 1515;

FIGURE 16 is a view of the die of FIGURE 14 with the jaws in closedposition, and the cutting edges in operation;

FIGURE 17 is a perspective view illustrating the operation of the die ofFIGURES 14 to 16; and

FIGURE 18 is a view of a modified form of die or tool for making theside cuts and score lines.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, itillustrates a squeezable container 10 which may be made of elastomericmaterial similar to the container of the previous patents andapplication referred to. The end of the container 10 is heat sealed atthe end as shown at 11 and at the openable closure end as shown at 13,there being an unsealed neck or channel portion 15. The closure meansshown in FIGURE 1 is not in the completely fabricated state. This figureillustrates that with the application of a relatively small force orpressure to the container, liquid in the container will be forced intothe neck or channel 15 to a point as illustrated at 16, designating abubble or meniscus at the end of the liquid. This position establishes athreshold pressure. To force the liquid further into the channel, it hasbeen discovered, requires the application of a rather substantialadditional force or pressure above and beyond the said thresholdpressure. It is a purpose of the invention to take advantage of thisphenomenon by placing the clip or stiffening member, which is designatedat 20, in a position substantially at the point referred to, i.e., in aposition which has at the outer edge of the bubble or at a pointoverlapping or wholly or at least partially overlying the bubbleestablished by the said threshold pressure. The threshold pressure isthat which precedes the effective stretching of the elastomeric closurematerial past the closure. That is to say, the threshold pressure isfound without the closure device and is the pressure required to merelyform the bubble. As such bubble is formed by pressure, for example, onthe tube, the end of the outlet passage or opening outwardly of thebubble usually, if not invariably, deflects to one side or the other,thus effectively kinking the outlet until the application of greaterpressure stretches or further stretches and forces the kink so thecontents of the tube are extruded or flowed in the desired volume pastthe kink and through the outlet to discharge the tube.

The phenomenon of natural kinking of a flattened outlet appears todepend upon the geometry of the end of the tube and upon the geometry ofthe outlet. The tube body, being preferably cylindrical or elliptical inthe crosssection perpendicular to its axis, is placed under manualpressure. The junction, usually tapered, of the neck or end of the tubeadjacent the flattened outlet passage appears to come to a focus at theouter edge of the bubble so that some additional pressure-before theoutlet is forced to stretch, open, or un-kink by the ultimate pressure-appears for a while to add to and accentuate the forces tending todeflect and kink the flattened (or bowed) outlet at the said focus orouter end of the resultant bubble.

So that said some additional force or ultimate force is utilized indesired extrusion of the contents of the tube and not by an undesiredadditional threshold of pressure to be overcome by the user, theeffective desired closure means should effectively intersect or overlapthe outer edge or focus of the bubble.

A possible explanation and theory explaining the abovedescribedphenomena may be as follows:

At the initial application of a very light pressure to the container theflowable material therein is caused to assume a slightly bulgedcondition, as indicated by dotted line A in FIG. 3, defining a meniscuscurve across the entrance to the passageway 15. As pressure is increasedslightly, the continuously curved meniscus is further enlarged to theshape indicated by dotted line B and the increase in pressure necessaryto cause this change is a uniformly changing pressure. When the meniscusor bubble reaches the position B, the same rate of pressure increase hasalmost no immediately additional effect but a very substantial increasein pressure is required to force the meniscus farther out to about theposition indicated at C. It is to be noted that, at C, the surface ofthe meniscus has broken away from the main body of material in thecontainer 10 and extends across between the side walls of the passageway15 rather than merely spanning the entrance to the passageway. Hereinapplicants use the term threshold pressure to define that uniformlyincreasing pressure necessary to force the meniscus to the position Band, as pointed out, a substantial increase of pressure is necessary toforce the material outwardly beyond that point.

This bubble focus phenomenon may be used to reinforce the closurepressure within desired low manipulatable pressure bursts for users ofthe tubes while utilizing relatively thin (e.g., 0.10") elastomericcontainer or outlet walls of plastics of the nature of rubber, softvinyl and the. like.

The process of fabrication of the closure means includes the making ofthe holes as designated at 21 and 22, and the application of thestiffening member. A preferred form of the stiffening member is shown inFIG- URE 9. The preferred process of fabricating a closure means, asshown in FIGURES 2 to 5, is essentially that of the prior applicationreferred to, and the prior Patent No. 2,815,150, except for theparticular positioning of the stiffening member 20 as described, andproviding for the tear strip as described hereinafter. Briefly, afterthe holes 21 and 22 are punched, the stiffening member 20 is applied bymeans of a clamping die. It holds the material of the closure means 13laterally stretched.

The stiffening member 20 may be made of suitable bendable metal. It hasinwardly bent end parts 26 and 27, which are clamped against theresilient material of the closure member. Formed in these end parts aregripping tangs or teeth 30 and 31. A particular feature of the inventionlies in the configuration of these tangs. The material of the closuremeans is stretched laterally at the time that the stiffening member 30is applied as described in the earlier application. The clamping ends 26and 27 and the tangs or teeth in them, must be able to hold theresilient material without releasing it or tearing it. It has been foundthat this can be most effectively accomplished by tangs such as shown at30 and 31. These tangs constitute material deformed from the surface ofthe end parts 26 and 27. Referring to the tang 31, there is a transversecut 33 through the material of the end part 27. The material of the tangis then forced inwardly adjacent this single transverse cut into aconfiguration as shown. This configuration is similar to a half of acone, split along a plane passing through the vertical axis of the cone.The configuration provides a shoulder 35 at the end of the surfaces thatare deformed inwardly out of the plane of the end part 27 and having theconfiguration as shown. The tang 30 has a similar configuration. It hasbeen found that these tangs are very effective and satisfactory for thepurpose which has been set forth in the foregoing.

FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 show a modified form of a closure means embodying astiffening member 40 which may be metal or other material having somerigidity. This member is narrower than the channel 15 and is placedalong the channel as shown. FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 show this modification ina form in which it is not completely fabricated. It is to be understoodthat the end part of the closure member is cut off approximately alongthe section line 6-6 to expose an outlet opening at the end of theunsealed channel part 15. The stiffening member 40 may have somecurvature and may be arranged to provide a function similar to that ofthe closure shown in FIG URE 23 of Patent No. 2,815,150. That is, member40 may be bonded on to hold one side of the closure under tensionallowing it to flex outwardly away from the member.

FIGURES 10 to 13 show the end part of the container of FIGURE 1 with theclosure means partly fabricated. These figures illustrate the side cutsand scores that are made in the material to provide a tear strip thatcan be manually torn off to expose the opening 15 at the end of theclosure means. The tear strip is similar to that shown in Patent No.2,815,150. The improvements herein lie in the method of making the sidecuts and score lines. Preferably, these side cuts and score lines aremade in the closure means before the holes 21 and 22 are punched and thestiffening member applied.

As shown in FIGURES 10 to 13, side cuts as shown at 50 and 51 in thesealed area 13 is the end part of the container. Aligned with the sidecuts are score lines on opposite sides of the material partway throughthe material. One of these score lines is designated at 53, there beinga similar one on the opposite side of the closure means designated at54. The side cuts may extend all the way to the score lines or almostthereto, as will be made clear hereinafter. These side cuts and scorelines make it easy to remove the tear strip by tearing it off asexplained in detail in the prior Patent No. 2,815,150. As will beobserved, the closure means is completely and positively sealed untilthe tear strip is torn off after which the closure operatesautomatically in response to pressure exerted on the container. Thestiffening member 20 is preferably positioned as explained in connectionwith FIGURES 3 and 5, the cuts and score lines being made just outwardlyof the stiffening member. Preferably, however, the cuts and score linesare made before the stiffening member is applied.

Improved and effective means and methods or techniques are provided formaking the cuts 50 and 51, and the score lines 53 and 54. The means andmethod are illustrated in FIGURES 14 to 17. Preferably, the meanscomprises a die or tool designated generally at 60 and shown partly inschematic form. A frame is provided in which there is an upper die 65having side frame members 63 and 64, with the die 65 itself betweenthem. Numerals 68 and 69 designate lower frame members having a lowerdie 73 between them. The upper die frame is movable vertically relativeto the lower die frame, on vertical posts 76 and 77. The lower die 73 isin the form of a truncated pyramid having an upper narrower part 80having a channel in it as designated at 91 in FIGURE 15, with ribs 82and 83 adjacent a slot 105. The upper die has a depressed center portion86 overlying the part 80 of the lower die with adjacent bevelledsurfaces complementary to the slanting or beveled surfaces at the sidesof the truncated pyramid form of the lower die 73.

The upper die has a rectilinear channel 90' in it and the lower die hasa similar rectinlinear channel 91 in it. Slidable in the channel 90 is aguide member 93 carrying a sharp-edged blade 94 in an angular positionas shown, so that its edge 95 is on a slant with a downwardly extendingpoint 96. The blade 90 moves in slot 98 having longitudinal ribs 100 and101 at its lower edge to compress and hold the elastomeric material toinsure that it will be out rather than simply deforming. Slidable in thechannel 91 of the die 73, is a guide member 102 having a similarsharp-edged knife blade -103 similarly carried thereby at an angle butopposite to the angle of the blade 94. The blade 94 has a pointedupwardly extending tip 104. It moves in a slot 105 similar to slot 98and having similar longitudinal ribs along its upper edge.

Tool or die 60 may be embodied in any suitable machine having means foroperating the tool or die, that is, for moving the upper die frame 60towards the lower die into a position as shown in FIGURE 16. The machinealso embodies suitable means for reciprocating the sliding, or guidemembers 93 and 102, as illustrated in the figures. When the members 93and 102 move to the left, as illustrated in FIGURE 16, the knife blades94 and 103 move to the left, as illustrated in FIGURE 16, the knifeblades 94 and 103 move with them making the cuts 50 and 51 and the scorelines 53 and 54 in the closure member or means 13. The configuration ofthe upper die 65 is complementary to the pyramidal configuration of thelower die as described and, accordingly, when the upper die 60 movesdown the neck portion 13 is deformed into a configuration as shown inFIGURE 16 with the side edges deformed downwardly conforming to thecomplementary bevelled surfaces of the dies. The pointed tips 96 and 104of the knife blades are spaced apart so as to make the score lines asdescribed, without cutting all the way through the heat sealed portion13. Due to the deformation of the edges of the portion 13 in the dies asshown in FIGURE 16, the lower knife 99 cuts through them completely, asillustrated in FIGURE 17, except for a very small gap between these sideedge cuts and the upper score line as shown in FIGURE 17; this gap maybe a small fraction of an inch and does not interfere with the purposeof the cuts and score lines, (i.e.) to facilitate the easy tearing offof the tear strip.

FIGURE 18 illustrates an alternative form of the invention using amodified form of dies 65 and 73, other parts of the tool being similarand identified by similar numerals. Modified parts are identified bysimilar numerals primed. In this form of the invention, the upper die65' has two downwardly extending ribs and 111, lying transversely to thepath of the knives or cutting edges. The lower die 73 has depressions orgrooves 112 and 113 complernentary to the ribs 110 and 111 and oppositethem, When the upper die is lowered toward the lower die as shown inFIGURE 18, the ribs 110 and 111 on the upper die depress or deformportions of the sealed neck area 13' into the depressions or grooves 112and 113 as shown. Side edge portions of the neck 13 extend beyond theportions depressed into the grooves 112 and 113. The ribs 110 and 111and grooves 112 and 113 may be relatively short, merely extending ashort distance in a direction normal to the travel of the knives to makethe depressions or deformations on these areas. When the knives 94 and103 move to the left, they out completely through the portions of thesealed area 13 that are depressed into the grooves 112 and 113, and makethe score lines 53 and 54' similar to the manner in which they are madein the previous embodiment. After the sealed neck area 13' is removedfrom the die, side edge portions of the neck area 13, as designated at116 and 117, are cut off and discarded, leaving edge cuts beginning atthe edge and extending into the upper and lower score lines.

From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will observe and understandthe nature of the invention and the manner in which its objectives andadvantages are realized. The invention makes it possible to improve thepositioning of the stiffening member of the closure means and to therebyrender its effectiveness optimum. The improved holding means of thetangs of the stiffening member of FIGURE 9 provide a simple buteffective way of realizing positive clamping and holding of thelaterally stretched material at the neck or channel of the closuremeans.

The invention further provides for an easily removable tear off strip,and particularly, an effective method or technique for providing thenecessary cuts and score lines in the fabrication of the container andautomatic closure means.

The foregoing disclosure is representative of preferred forms of theinvention and is to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than in alimiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. In a closure comprising an elongated elastic sleeve forming a narrowneck extending from a sequeezable container, the sleeve being flattenedso as to have two substantially flat sides with generally parallel sideedges substantially longer than the width of said neck and providing adischarge outlet having an inner and an outer end, stiffening meansprovided across at least one side of said neck and attached to thematerial thereof holding it in a laterally stretched and bowedcondition; the improvement comprising the stiffening member beingpositioned along the length of the neck at a point outwardly of theinner end of said outlet andin a region to which the leading end of abubble of liquid will be forced by the application to the squeezablecontainer at the maximum value of a uniformly increasing pressure toform a complete outwardly curved meniscus spanning said inner end, andthen to move outward to discharge.

2. In a closure of the type comprising an elastic sleeve forming a neck,the sleeve being flattened and heat sealed together so as to have twosubstantially flat sides with side edges and providing a dischargechannel, a stiffening rib provided across one side of the said neck andattached to the material thereof adjacent said side edges, holding saidneck in a laterally stretched condition, the improvement comprisingholding tangs formed in parts of the stiffening rib engaging the elasticmaterial adjacent said side edges, each tang being formed by a singletransverse cut in the material of the rib and material thereof beingdeformed out of the plane of the rib to a distance less than thethickness of said material adjacent the cut to form a laterallyoutwardly facing continuous transverse shoulder at the position of thecut.

3. The improvement as in claim 2 wherein the tang produced by thedeformed material has a configuration which is generally that of adimple split so that the said shoulder has a rounded edge configuration.

4. In a closure comprising an elastic sleeve forming a neck, the sleevebeing flattened so as to have two substantially flat sides with sideedges and providing a discharge outlet, stitfening means provided on atleast one side of said neck and attached to the material thereof, saidstiffening means comprising an elongated stiffening member positionedlongitudinally along the length of the neck inwardly of the edgesthereof and holding one side of the closure under tension whereby a sidepart of the sleeve can flex outwardly to provide an opening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,061,485 ll/l936 Scheinman 22949X 2,379,179 6/ 1945 Petersen 22949 2,753,091 7/1956 Herzig 222 4912,815,150 12/1957 Herzig 222-491 X 2,947,448 8/1960 Maddox 222494 X M.HENSON WOOD, 1a., Primary Examiner H. S. LANE, Assistant Examiner

